Ephrath

Ephrath (also spelled Ephrathah or Ephratah) is a Hebrew name meaning "fruitful place," derived from the Hebrew root פָּרָה (parah), meaning "to be fruitful, to bear fruit, to increase." In the Bible, Ephrath appears as both a personal name and a place name. As a personal name, it is borne by one of the wives of Caleb, as recorded in 1 Chronicles 2:19. Ephrath bore Hur, who is noted as an ancestor of the founders of Bethlehem. As a place name, Ephrath refers to an ancient region near Bethlehem, and eventually became identified with Bethlehem itself. According to Genesis 35:19 and Micah 5:2, Ephrath was the area where Rachel was buried along the road from Bethel after giving birth to Benjamin. The biblical association with Rachel's tomb (which tradition places near Bethlehem) cemented the link between Ephrath and Bethlehem.

In the Hebrew Bible, the connection between Ephrath and Bethlehem is further reinforced by the designation of David as "the Ephrathite of Bethlehem in Judah" (1 Samuel 17:12, Ruth 1:2). Thus, the name Ephrath came to denote the geographic and tribal region from which the royal house of David originated.

Biblical References

Ephrath is mentioned several times in the Old Testament. In Genesis 35:16–19, Rachel dies and is buried "on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem)." Later, in Micah 5:2, the prophet declares that Bethlehem Ephrathah, though small, will produce a ruler in Israel. This prophecy was later interpreted by Christians as a messianic reference. The name Ephrath also appears in the genealogical list of Caleb in 1 Chronicles 2:19, 24, and 50, cementing its use as a female given name.

The related modern Hebrew form is Efrat, used both as a given name and as a place name in contemporary Israel.

• Meaning: "Fruitful place"
• Origin: Hebrew
• Type: Place name and feminine personal name
• Usage regions: Biblical (English, Greek, Latin Bibles)
• Related forms: Efrat (Hebrew), Ephrathah, Ephratah